Ore is defined as a mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable constituent and more specifically, at least one metal can be extracted. Ore must be processed to separate unwanted organics and minerals, or other inorganic materials, from metal. Once ore is processed, it may be refined to separate metals. For example, Cupellation is a refining method used to separate silver from lead. Complex ores, as used herein, means an ore in which the ratio of metal to aggregate organic and inorganic material is low or ore in which metal is difficult to separate from aggregate organic and inorganic material.
Known methods for processing include exposing lime and/or cyanide to ore slurry or other similar leaching processes. These methods are inefficient and costly when dealing with complex ores. Consequently, metals in complex ores may not be extracted. Even if known methods for processing ore were efficient and inexpensive, they are toxic to the environment. These methods release toxic gases and chemicals and unprocessed water into the environment. Known methods may also require large energy input.
The Inventive System, described herein, provides methods and apparatus that is used to process complex ores efficiently and inexpensively. The Inventive System is also “green”:                (1) The air emissions meet or are significantly below current county, state, and federal regulatory limits;        (2) Process water is treated and disposed of using Best Available Control Technology (BACT), to allow release in to the local sewer system.        (3) Power supply is regulated so that it is more efficiently used.        